-- Ford’s Special
Vehicle Team (SVT) taps into growing off-road enthusiast market
and builds on the solid foundation of the new Ford F-150 to
deliver the ultimate off-road performance truck – the 2010 Ford
F-150 SVT Raptor
-- Industry-first internal bypass shocks by Fox Racing Shox help
provide smooth ride; lower, wider design key to desert racing
and off-road performance
-- The F-150 SVT Raptor launches with the proven 5.4-liter
Triton V-8 with 310 horsepower and 365 lb.-ft of torque; a
6.2-liter V-8 engine will be available after launch

LAS VEGAS, Nov. 4, 2008
– Ford, the definitive leader in tough trucks, is further building
on its solid foundation of the new F-150 to deliver the all-new 2010
F-150 SVT Raptor, a purpose-built, high-performance off-road truck
versatile enough to take on the most challenging desert adventures
as well as the everyday commute.

“Ford trucks have been a mainstay on the off-road racing scene for
more that 20 years because of our long history of capability and
durability,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s group vice president for
Global Product Development. “With the F-150 SVT Raptor, we are
delivering a true off-road performance truck with the proven ‘Built
Ford Tough’ capability and durability that is at the core of every
F-150 and the best in performance thanks to the team at SVT.”

“Like its fighter jet
and dinosaur namesakes, the F-150 SVT Raptor is tough, fast,
aggressive, and built with the off-road enthusiast in mind,” he
added.

Ford and off-road racing

Desert off-road racing
is something Ford knows and does well, with eight championships in
nine divisions in the 2007 “Best In The Desert” series and four more
titles in CORR (Championship Off Road Racing). Ford has also shown
its dominance at the Baja 1000 race – 12 Ford-powered vehicles have
won the overall title for four-wheel vehicles, the most of any
engine manufacturer.

With interest in off-road performance growing at a steady rate, the
F-150 SVT Raptor was built to fulfill the desires of that highly
demanding market. The high-performance off-road truck market is one
that’s largely untapped, allowing the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor to set
the bar for this type of vehicle.

“Most of the major manufacturers have focused on-road performance,
so when we looked at what was available in off-road truck
performance, it was somewhat limited,” said Mark Grueber, Ford
product marketing manager for pickups and large SUVs. “This was the
perfect opportunity for Ford to further differentiate the F-150 from
other trucks on the market.”

Looks tough and fast

The tough, chiseled look
of the new Ford F-150 has been taken to a new level with F-150 SVT
Raptor. The agile, performance truck was designed to give the
impression it is always on the move.

Noticeable differences between the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor and
conventional F-150 include a distinctive grille that has the Ford
name carved into it; front bumper, vented hood, front fascia and
fenders, functional hood extractors, fender extractors with ‘SVT’
bored out, as well as visible FOX Racing Shox, the only internal
bypass shocks available on a street truck.

Another key difference between the F-150 SVT Raptor and the base
F-150 is it is more than seven inches wider. Ford designers took
advantage of this difference and highlighted it with distinctive
marker lamps. When turned off, the marker lamps are well-integrated
into the F-150 SVT Raptor’s front end, as opposed to on top of the
cab. When lit up, Raptor’s imposing stance is immediately
recognizable.

While the exterior design of the F-150 SVT Raptor is about creating
an image, the interior design is about creating the feel of the
truck, and both must complement each other.

Design elements from the unique grille and front fascia have been
carried through to the interior on the console and dashboard. The
steering wheel is wrapped in black leather and features a
molten-orange leather strip that serves as a centering sight line –
which is especially useful in extreme driving maneuvers that can
often cause the driver to lose perspective of the steering wheel’s
center point.

Revved up and ready

The Ford F-150 SVT
Raptor is powered by the F-150’s proven 5.4-liter Triton V-8
three-valve engine, which delivers 320 horsepower and 390 lb.-ft. of
torque. A new open-valve fuel injection strategy improves the
air/fuel charge conditions in the combustion chamber, allowing
greater spark advance at higher loads and engine speeds. This
delivers increased horsepower during towing and higher rpm
operations, lower emissions and more efficient use of fuel.

A new 6.2-liter V-8 engine will be available after launch. The
6.2-liter engine features all-new architecture specifically designed
for robustness in a truck application.

Given reliability and longevity under harsh conditions are key to
truck customers, the Ford team performed extensive testing to ensure
the 6.2-liter V-8 engine would live up to the ‘Built Ford Tough’
promise. Fifty 6.2-liter V-8 engines successfully endured more than
a dozen of the toughest engine tests at Ford’s dynamometer lab
during development.

SVT used a specially designed, 62-mile durability loop in the desert
of Borrego Springs, Calif., to replicate the conditions of the Baja
1000 race, to further test the engines’ performance.

Take off and landing

Building a
high-performance off-road truck is not about the horsepower – it’s
about the suspension. The F-150 SVT Raptor doesn’t disappoint, with
13.4 inches of usable travel in the rear suspension and 11.2 in the
front.

“With the F-150 SVT Raptor, we changed the axle, the whole front
suspension is different – new upper A arm, new lower A arm, new tie
rod, new half-shaft joints,” said Jamal Hameedi, Ford SVT chief
engineer. “It’s well beyond what SVT has ever done with one of our
vehicles.”

Raptor’s wider track and softer suspension mean it will
comparatively glide over obstacles. And when it has to be
“launched,” be prepared for a soft landing. “The suspension does all
the work to keep the truck’s attitude stable,” Hameedi said.

In addition to a beefed up suspension, the F-150 SVT Raptor also
boasts unique internal bypass Fox Racing Shox, the only internal
bypass shocks on a street truck. The position sensitive dampening
internal bypass feature allows the shock to become significantly
stiffer as it travels, preventing the truck from bottoming out.

By working with Fox internal bypass technology and applying the Ford
engineering methodology, there haven’t been trade-offs to assure
extreme off-road handling over on-road ride comfort.

“This truck is also going to be a daily driver. We brought together
a lot of experts to ensure the on-road steering precision and
comfort was there, too,” said Hameedi. “That’s where Ford expertise
really came to the table and complemented Fox’s off-road expertise.”

A tough truck needs tough tires, and a BF Goodrich All-Terrain TA/KO
315/70-17 tire does the job.
To help improve the tire in a variety of conditions, the compound of
the tread was altered. Engineers made the rubber softer for better
performance on and off-road and for precise and predictable steering
in a variety of conditions while the interior of the tire was
modified to improve lateral firmness.

The tall sidewall on the 35-inch tire can handle rocks and irregular
surfaces commonly experienced in an off-road environment. A 17-inch
cast aluminum wheel is designed to absorb the impact of objects the
truck could encounter in some of the most extreme environments.

Specialized Technologies

The F-150 SVT Raptor
provides the complete package for off-roaders, including
state-of-the-art technologies to keep it at the top of capability.

“For many years, enthusiasts have been struggling with the
performance of electronic technologies in the extreme off-road
environment since that was not the environment they were designed
for,” Hameedi said. “What SVT has done is tailor technology to
function in both an on-road and an extreme off-road environment.”

Technologies include:

AdvanceTrac® with RSC®
(Roll Stability Control™) predicts the vehicle’s path using a sensor
to detect and measure oversteer and yaw by monitoring the vehicle’s
speed, throttle position and steering wheel angle. When the system
senses wheel slip or the loss of traction, it applies braking where
needed to keep the truck tracking safely on its intended path. If a
significant roll rate is detected, the system applies additional
countermeasures to enhance vehicle roll resistance.

The off-road enthusiast
has the option to switch to two available settings – sport mode and
full off-road mode depending on their driving situation. The sport
mode shuts off traction control enabling the vehicle to have more
yaw movement.

Full off-road mode shuts off all electronic stability programs and
the ABS system switches to a special off-road setting. Widening the
threshold of sport mode, the wheels will lock more which is helpful
in off-road terrain. Also in full off-road mode, the locking rear
differential is allowed to stay locked at elevated speeds to mimic a
spool differential found on racing trucks.

Trailer Sway
Control works in conjunction with AdvanceTrac with RSC and
can determine from the yaw motion of the truck if the trailer is
swaying and take measures – such as applying precise braking or
reduced engine torque – to bring both vehicle and trailer under
control. Integrated Trailer Brake Controller is factory-installed
and allows direct operation of the trailer’s electronic brakes
by squeezing the control module on the instrument panel with
more confidence than the typical aftermarket system. Electronic Locking Differential uses a true mechanical
connection to lock the left and right axle shafts together so
both turn at the same speed with the same amount of torque. This
switch-controlled feature maximizes traction capability at the
wheel with grip, without having to stop the truck. Hill Descent Control on the F-150 SVT Raptor is Ford’s
first application of the technology. Utilizing ABS, the driver
can control hill descent without applying the brakes. The speed
is set for the truck to descend the hill by pushing a button and
allows for the driver to concentrate on driving, rather than on
how to modulate the brakes on a steep decline. Off-Road Mode engages a third throttle map and a third
shift schedule for improved off-road performance. Third throttle
map alters the throttle by changing the driver demand table so
it is better suited to high and low-speed off-road driving
conditions. A third shift schedule is a unique strategy for the
off-road environment that holds the transmission in each gear
for a longer period of time, allowing better engine throttle
modulation to control the vehicle. Auxiliary Switch Board on the center console makes
aftermarket customization easier, with four prewired switches
attached to the power distribution box for electrical
accessories. Also located on the auxiliary switch board are two
switches for improved off-road performance – Hill Descent
Control and Off-Road Mode.

The F-150 SVT Raptor
will be built along side the new F-150 at Ford’s Dearborn Truck
Plant at the historic Rouge Center in Dearborn, Mich.